Lactic acid test cost in Boston, MA — inpatient
In Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, 21 hospitals list a cash price for lactate (lactic acid) blood test as an inpatient: from $17.92 to $535.00, with a median of $71.00. The lowest listed price is at Boston Medical Center South — $53.08 less than the median here. Across Massachusetts, the median is $71.00 at 33 hospitals.
Cash prices at 21 facilities across 15 cities for code 83605, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Aug 6, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Medical Center South lowest Brockton, MA · (508) 427-3000 HC Chg Assay of Lactate | $17.92 | $39.81 | $10.20–$394.86 | 55% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Brighton Boston, MA · (617) 789-3000 HC Chg Assay of Lactate | $20.38 | $45.28 | $10.20–$475.07 | 55% | — source file |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 636-5000 HC Assay of Lactic Acid - Lactate | $28.00 | $40.00 | $10.50–$50.20 | 30% | — source file |
| Lowell General Hospital Lowell, MA · (978) 937-6000 HC Assay of Lactic Acid - Lactate | $28.00 | $40.00 | $14.00–$43.87 | 30% | — source file |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 636-5000 HC Assay of Lactic Acid - Lactic Acid Arterial W | $28.00 | $40.00 | $10.50–$50.20 | 30% | — source file |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA · (781) 979-3000 HC Assay of Lactic Acid - Lactate | $28.00 | $40.00 | $14.00–$530.75 | 30% | — source file |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA · (781) 979-3000 HC Assay of Lactic Acid - Lactic Acid Arterial W | $28.00 | $40.00 | $14.00–$530.75 | 30% | — source file |
| Lowell General Hospital Lowell, MA · (978) 937-6000 HC Assay of Lactic Acid - Lactic Acid Arterial W | $28.00 | $40.00 | $14.00–$43.87 | 30% | — source file |
| Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital Brockton, MA · (508) 941-7000 LACTIC ACID (91) | $32.90 | $47.00 | — | 30% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital Brockton, MA · (508) 941-7000 LACTIC ACID | $32.90 | $47.00 | — | 30% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 638-8000 HC Chg Assay of Lactate | $33.30 | $74.00 | $10.01–$512.54 | 55% | — source file |
| Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Bradford Haverhill, MA Lactic Acid, Plasma | $41.65 | $41.65 | $41.65 | — | — source file |
| Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Bradford Haverhill, MA Assay of lactic acid | $41.65 | $41.65 | $41.65 | — | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · (617) 665-1000 HC Lactic Acid | $50.00 | $50.00 | $9.75–$73.66 | — | — source file |
| Emerson Hospital Concord, MA · (978) 369-1400 LACTIC ACID | $52.50 | $70.00 | $64.05 | 25% | May 18, 2026 source file |
| Emerson Hospital Concord, MA · (978) 369-1400 SEPSIS LACTIC ACID #2 | $52.50 | $70.00 | $64.05 | 25% | May 18, 2026 source file |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton Milton, MA · (617) 696-4600 CHG ASSAY OF LACTATE | $71.00 | $71.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington Burlington, MA · (781) 744-5100 CHG ASSAY OF LACTATE | $75.00 | $75.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mount Auburn Hospital Cambridge, MA · (617) 492-3500 CHG ASSAY OF LACTATE | $76.00 | $76.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Anna Jaques Hospital Newburyport, MA · (978) 463-1000 CHG ASSAY OF LACTATE | $78.00 | $78.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital - Plymouth Plymouth, MA · (508) 746-2000 CHG ASSAY OF LACTATE | $85.00 | $85.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Winchester Hospital Winchester, MA · (781) 729-9000 CHG ASSAY OF LACTATE | $102.00 | $102.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| PAM Health Specialty Hospital of Stoughton Stoughton, MA Lactic Acid | $115.70 | $115.70 | $80.99–$98.35 | — | Aug 6, 2026 source file |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital - Needham Needham, MA · (781) 453-3002 CHG ASSAY OF LACTATE | $138.00 | $138.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Exeter Hospital Exeter, NH · (603) 778-7311 CHG ASSAY OF LACTATE | $166.00 | $166.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 667-7000 CHG ASSAY OF LACTATE | $225.00 | $225.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| New England Baptist Hospital Boston, MA · (617) 754-5800 CHG ASSAY OF LACTATE | $535.00 | $535.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $17.92, median $71.00, highest $535.00 — a 29.9× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 26 facilities here, median $77.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 8 of 10 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
A lactic acid test measures lactate in the blood. It is used mainly in the emergency department and hospital to look for sepsis, shock or poor blood flow to tissues.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.